Italy’s Meloni issues rare criticism of Trump after his attack on pope

[Alessandra Tarantino/AP]

US President Donald Trump’s onslaught connected Pope Leo was “unacceptable,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said connected ​Monday, joining forces with politicians of each colours successful springing to the pontiff’s defense.

The statement represented an highly uncommon nationalist rebuke of ‌Trump from Meloni, who has cultivated peculiarly adjacent ties with the US president, underscoring widespread choler successful Italy implicit his broadside connected Pope Leo.

Trump acceptable disconnected the furore by calling Leo “terrible” successful a agelong tirade connected Sunday. He subsequently posted an AI representation depicting himself arsenic a Jesus-like figure, sparking further outrage among Christians who saw the representation arsenic blasphemous.

Pope Leo, person of the world’s ​1.4 cardinal Catholics, swiftly responded, telling reporters helium had “no fear” of the Trump medication and promising to proceed speaking retired against the US-led war with ​Iran and successful defence of migrants.

Meloni issued an archetypal statement backing Leo arsenic helium flew disconnected connected an ambitious four-nation visit to ⁠Africa, but made nary specific notation of Trump’s broadside.

Opposition politicians accused her of lacking the courageousness to straight situation Trump, prompting her to contented a 2nd ​statement aboriginal successful the time to clarify her position.

“I find President Trump’s words towards the Holy Father unacceptable. The Pope is the caput of the Catholic Church, and ​it is close and mean for him to telephone for bid and to condemn each signifier of war,” she said.

THE DANGER OF GOING AFTER POPES

Meloni was the lone European person to be Trump’s inauguration successful 2025 and she had hoped their relationship would boost her standing astatine location and abroad.

However, Trump risks becoming a liability, with 66% of Italians having a antagonistic view ​of the US leader. Pollsters accidental Meloni’s ties to the White House mightiness person been a origin successful her decision past period successful a referendum connected judicial ​reform.

Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who has besides successful the past associated himself intimately with Trump, besides distanced himself from the US person connected Monday, highlighting however Europe’s far-right is ‌trying to ⁠draw backmost from the MAGA orbit.

“Pope Leo is simply a spiritual person for billions of Catholics, but beyond that, if there is 1 idiosyncratic striving for peace, it is Pope Leo, and so attacking him does not look either wise oregon helpful,” helium said successful a statement.

The pope is the bishop of Rome and spiritual person to millions of Italian Catholics, making politicians of each stripes wary astir taking him on.

“It has been centuries since such a blatant enactment of aggression against the Roman ​pontiff was seen,” said erstwhile center-left ​Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, adding that ⁠it was vital for Catholics and non-believers alike to support Leo. [Reuters]